Marvel: Behind Closed Doors
by Cortana Hansen
Summary: AU/AT (Alternate Universe & Alternate Timeline). "Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it." Loki mysteriously arrives on Midgard and loses his powers. Taken in by Tony Stark and a few other mortals, they end up searching for the truth when it turns out that things are not what they seem.
1. Prologue

**Here's the Thor AU about Loki, as promised. :) Hopefully you all like the prologue.**

. . .

 **Prologue**

 _"I could have done it, father! I could have done it! For you! For all of us!"_

 _"No, Loki."_

Loki groaned in pain as he slammed into the ground on his side. Well, _that_ hurt, of course. Even a god can feel pain. He opened his eyes, and tried to sit up. But his head was swirling in dizziness. Closing his eyes to shut out the world spinning before him, he collapsed back into the dirt. He tried to hold onto consciousness, but he slipped helplessly into the dark realm of his mind.

 _"Am I cursed?"_

 _"No. Put the Casket down."_

 _"What am I?"_

 _"You're my son."_

 _"What more than that? The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"_

 _"No."_

Always that one word. No. No. _No._

Somewhere, in another part of his mind, Loki could hear a loud beeping echoing, faster and faster. Someone was screaming, screaming, and he was sure it was him. As he fought his way back into the real world, he felt something, a needle, piercing his chest. Loki plunged back into the black depths of his subconscious.

After what seemed like centuries, Loki finally managed to struggle awake. As his eyes opened, he was greeted by a young woman in white clothing. Her name tag read "Madeline."

"Hello," Madeline said, smiling sweetly. Loki already took an instant disliking to her."I'm Madeline."

"Yes, I can see that from... whatever that is on your tunic," Loki croaked out. He looked at his arm and saw the tubes sticking out of it, leading up to a small bag filled with liquid. "What... where am I?"

"Okay, one, this isn't a tunic, it's a shirt," Madeline replied. "Second, the thing _on_ my shirt is my name tag. Third, you're in the hospital. In Manhattan, to be exact."

"'Manhattan?'" Loki repeated. "Is that really what you mortals call this realm?"

"Wow, you must have gotten hit pretty hard on the head," Madeline commented. "I'm gonna get you something to eat, okay? You must be starving." With that, she left the room.

Loki reached for the tubes and quickly ripped them out of his arm. He hissed in pain, and bit his lip. The incessant beeping turned into a long, drawn-out ringing.

Loki let out an annoyed growl and threw off the hospital blanket and slipped off the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor. As he let go of the bed to shift his weight to his feet, he fell forward and hit the floor. Loki's head reeled in dizziness.

At that moment, another nurse came racing in. She grabbed Loki and tried to pull him towards the bed.

"Let go of me!" Loki snarled, trying to tear himself from her grasp. "I am Loki of Asgard! You will release me at once!"

"You'll be discharged when you're in proper health," the nurse said, shoving him into the bed, "and when Mr. Stark has paid all the fees for your surgery."

Loki desperately reached for his magic, in the part of his mind he knew it would rest, but it wasn't there. "What did you do to me?" He clawed her face, his fingernails tearing her flesh. Immediately bloody gashes appeared on her face. "What _did_ you do to me?!"

A needle punctured Loki's neck and he blacked out.

 _"Is the throne really worth what you've done? What you've become?"_

 _"I never wanted the throne! I only wanted to be your equal! Now fight me!"_

 _"I will not fight you, brother."_

 _"I'm not your brother. I never was."_

When Loki woke up again, he saw a dark-haired man sitting in a chair across from the bed. The man was watching him curiously. "Was wondering when you'd wake up."

Loki said nothing in reply.

"The name's Tony Stark." Tony waited for Loki to say something. He didn't. Tony continued, "The nurse said you said your name was 'Loki of Asgard.' Right before you slashed up her face with those fingernails of yours."

Loki continued to ignore him.

"So were your parents Norse fans or something?"

"Do you ever shut up?" Loki finally snarled.

"Uh, last I checked, no," Tony replied. "Nice to know you can still talk, by the way."

"Why am I here? What did you to do me? Where _are my powers?!"_

Tony looked at Loki with raised eyebrows. "Powers? How hard did you hit your head?" He shook his head. "Never mind, I'll start from the beginning. I was at a campground with my girlfriend, we were out hiking, and we found you unconscious in a smoking crater. We called an ambulance and now here you are."

Loki let out what sounded like a snort. "Right, mortal. Here I am."

"You mind telling me what you were doing there?" Tony asked. "In that crater?"

"Yes, I do mind, actually," Loki replied. "Maybe if you explained _what_ happened to my _magic_ , I'd tell you."

"Can't do that," Tony told him. "I don't know what happened to your... uh, 'magic.'"

"Liar!" Loki shrieked. He tried to lunge at Tony, but found he was restrained by a band stretching across the bed and over his body. "Release me! Now!"

"Can't do that," Tony said, unimpressed. "Doctor's orders."

"I told you to release me! You will do so! _Right now_ _!"_ Loki continued to try to struggle out off the strap, but couldn't. "I am Loki, the rightful ruler of Asgard! _You will obey me!"_

Tony just shook his head and left the room.

"I will out of here!" Loki screamed. "And when I do, I'll kill every last one of you mortals! Every last one of you, _do you hear me?!"_

. . .

 **So that's the end of the prologue. I guess this should technically be in the Avengers category, but whatever. I'll just roll with it.**

 **Constructive criticism is appreciated, FLAMES are NOT. Thank you.**


	2. One: Mystery of the Trickster, Part I

**Here's chapter one! :) Hope you all like it. Also, since Wikipedia (who aren't always, but usually are, accurate) says the X-Men movie series is to _possibly_ be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (spoiler alert!) I've decided to do a sort of crossover in this story. (Though I guess I kinda already did that in _Marvel: Again_. Oh well...)**

 **Enjoy (hopefully)!**

. . .

 **Chapter One: Mystery of the Trickster, Part I**

"So, why did you bring me to your office, Doctor Shultz?" Tony asked as he sat down in the chair across from her desk.

Dr. Shultz handed him a book, and replied, "After that crazy guy you found started claiming he was 'Loki of Asgard,' I did a little research. Tony, this man is insane. He thinks he's some Norse god or whatever. But..."

"But?" Tony raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

"But I can't deny the fact that there's something very unusual about his physiology. We found some anomalies in his bone and muscle structure when we were doing surgery on him. No major abnormalities, but unusual enough to raise questions," Shultz answered. "So we did some scans and while the majority of his systems are for the most part normal, his brain is very... well, the neural pathways in his brain are are another story. They're unlike anything I've ever seen in all my years of medical science. These neural pathways are more complex than ten normal human brains combined. I... I didn't know what I was looking at."

"Okay, so maybe he's a mutant," Tony suggested. "Those guys are getting pretty common around here."

"I sent a sample of DNA to Professor Xavier not too long ago," Shultz said. "He says there is no way that this guy is a mutant. The base pairs are just too different." She lowered her voice and continued, "He thinks that this 'Loki' is an alien. Xavier will be here tomorrow afternoon to see the guy for himself, to be sure. Personally, I don't know what to think."

Tony was silent as he processed this information. Then he said, "So 'Mr. I-Can-Read-Minds-'Cuz-I'm-Super-Smart' is coming over just to check out a guy who _might_ be an _alien?"_

"Yeah, pretty much. I also called a neurosurgeon. Doctor Stephen Strange. He should be here about the same time as Xavier."

"'Doctor Strange?'" Tony repeated. "What kind of a name is _that?"_

"I dunno. I guess his parents had a _strange_ sense of humour, heh... eh, sorry," Shultz said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Feel free to read that book. Maybe ask this 'Loki' some questions about his history, if he's willing to answer. Something tells me we're on the verge of one of the greatest discoveries mankind will ever make."

Tony nodded in agreement. This was indeed getting curiouser and curiouser.

 _That evening..._

"So did you really have sex with a horse?" Tony asked Loki the second he sat down in the chair across from the Asgardian's bed.

A look of disgust and astonishment spread across Loki's weary features. "I'm sorry... _what_ did you just say to me?"

"This book says here your son Sleipnir is an _eight-legged horse,"_ Tony told him, lifting up the book for Loki to see. "So... did you-"

"No!" Loki snapped, feeling rather disturbed by the... very _weird_ question. Did Midgardians actually believe that malarkey? Apparently they did, otherwise Tony wouldn't be here asking about it. "Sleipnir is just my... _Thor's_ father's horse. And the creature is so dumb anyway that even if it was my child, I would be sorely ashamed of him. I have no children, Tony Spark, and I certainly hope it stays that way."

"It's Tony _Stark._ Not 'Spark.' _Stark."_

"Whatever," Loki said. "I've never had sex with anyone, _let alone a horse_ of all things."

"Uh, okay," Tony said. "Great to know." There was a rather uncomfortable silence before Tony asked, "So... do you have any idea why anyone would think-"

"Would you shut up about the stupid horse?!"

"Look, I'm trying to figure you out, okay?" Tony told him. "Because right now, you look 'bout as sane as a... a..."

"A _what?"_

"A headless chicken?" It was the best Tony could come up with at the moment. Not a very good comparison indeed.

"A headless chicken?" Loki repeated. "Any chicken without a head is _dead."_

"It's a metaphor. Or simile. Whatever!" Tony thew up his arms in frustration. "Point is, everybody thinks you're crazy, 'Loki of Asgard!'"

"You know you can just call me Loki, right?"

Tony shrugged. "Does it matter what I call you? Whoever you are, you... you're pretty upstairs!"

Loki wrinkled his nose. "'Upstairs?' I should say you mortals are upstairs for keeping me here against my will, Tony Stark."

"Okay, number one, you can just call me Tony," Tony said. "Second, you're really annoying. You know that, right?"

Loki rolled his eyes in response. "Please. If anyone is annoying it's you."

Tony checked his watch. "I better get going, otherwise Pepper's going to kill me for being late again."

Loki wrinkled his nose a second time. "Since when do seasonings kill people?"

At that Tony roared with laughter. "It's her nickname, Lokes. And I didn't mean she'd literally kill me."

"What did you just call me?"

Tony stopped laughing and frowned. "I called you 'Lokes.' What, you don't like it?"

Loki thought a moment and shrugged slightly. "I guess... I guess it's alright." Tony smiled at that, obviously pleased that he was getting somewhere with the strange man.

"Okay. Good night... Lokes."

It wasn't a very good night for Loki however. Again and again, the same nightmare played over and over in his subconscious.

 _"Almighty Thanos... I, Loki, prince of Asgard... Odinson... the rightful king of Jotunheim... god of mischief... do hereby pledge to you... my undying fidelity."_

Loki then attempted to stab this Thanos in the neck. The latter grabbed him by the wrist, stopping his assault short.

 _"Undying? You should choose your words more carefully."_ Thanos grabbed Loki by the neck and proceeded to squeeze with his massive fist.

Loki gasped for air and grabbed at Thanos' hand. But he realised that it was useless to struggle. Instead, he looked at Thanos defiantly as he choked out the words, " _You... will never be... a god."_

 _"No!"_

It was Thor's voice that let out that cry. And it was the last thing Loki heard before all went black.

After reliving the nightmare for what seemed to be the millionth time, Loki finally awoke, panting and coated with sweat. He didn't notice the tears running down his cheeks as he wiped his face with the blanket.

Loki managed to compose himself after several minutes of reassuring himself that he was still alive, that he wasn't dead. But the nightmare had left him on edge. It was so very... real. Could it really have just been a dream? Perhaps it had something to do with him losing his powers...?

Loki shook his head of the thoughts and looked across the room out the window. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining, birds were chirping incessantly... Loki really wanted to kill those things just so they would shut up and leave him to have some peace and quiet.

Tony came in at that moment, holding a book. Loki was sure it was the same one as yesterday.

"Hey, Lokes," Tony greeted pleasantly. "What's up?"

Loki opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. Okay, so maybe he wasn't as composed as he had hoped.

Tony frowned. "You alright?"

"No," Loki replied, finally finding the words to speak after a moment. "I had a nightmare..."

"Oh. Wanna talk about it?"

"Not particularly. Especially with a mortal."

"What's your deal, Loki?" Tony asked, his tone suddenly demanding. "With all this 'mortal' and-"

There was a knock on the door, which interrupted Tony's rant. He glanced at the door and said in a voice laced with annoyance, "Come in."

The door opened and into the room wheeled a bald-headed man. His demeanour was serious, but calm. He was followed by a tall dark-haired man who looked rather displeased at being there.

 _I wonder which one's the brain wizard?_ Tony thought, looking from one man to the other.

"I am Professor Charles Xavier," the bald man stated as Tony stood up to greet them. "Or 'the brain wizard' as you put it, Mr. Stark."

"I didn't know you were reading my mind, Professor." Tony shook Xavier's hand as he said, "Nice to meet you. I guess."

Tony turned to the other man, hand extended. "I'm guessing you're Doctor Strange."

"Yes," Strange replied. He didn't take Tony's hand. "Is this the room with the... mentally unstable man? The one who thinks he's a god?" Strange didn't even bother to lower his voice for the sake of 'the mentally unstable man'- who at the moment was rather annoyed with the mortals.

"I can hear you, you know," Loki called, glaring at them.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Tony turned to Loki. "Guess what, Lokes? You're getting discharged now. We'll be taking this little project of ours to Stark Tower."

"Are we now?" Loki asked. "Good. I've grown rather tired of this place."

. . .

 **And that's the end of chapter one! :) Hopefully you all enjoyed it!**

 **Also, the whole "horse sex" idea actually came from another fanfic called _Everyone Casts a Shadow_ by the author "I am THOR." It's pretty funny, though it's a shame it's incomplete. :( Anyway, see ya all next time!**


	3. Two: Mystery of the Trickster Part II

**Chapter two is up! :) Sorry it took a bit with this one. I hope it was worth the wait, though. Constructive criticism is appreciated, FLAMES are NOT.**

 **So... onward! Blueberry, anyone?**

. . .

 **Chapter Two:** **Mystery of the Trickster, Part II**

 _Perhaps if I play along with the mortals, I can find out what happened to my powers..._

Loki frowned as a nurse wheeled in a chair with... well, wheels. _"What_ , in the name of Asgard, is _that_ idiotic looking contraption?"

"A wheelchair, duh," Tony replied as the nurse walked over to Loki to remove the strap around his body. "Now don't make a fuss. If Xavier can ride around in one full time, then you can take _ten minutes_ in one."

"You are insane if you think I'm getting in that thing," Loki retorted.

"What'd I just say about not making a fuss? It's a hospital policy, you have to ride in the-!"

"I will handle this, Mr. Stark, if you don't mind," Dr. Strange told Tony, pushing the scientist aside. "If you don't get into that chair willingly, 'Loki,' then we can make it as undiginifying for you as possible. Mr. Stark can carry you out of here bridal style for all the other patients and staff to see."

"Hey, how did this become about me all of a sudden?!" Tony exclaimed, flustered. He looked at Xavier. "How did this become about me?"

"I don't think you make a very good first _impression,_ Mr. Stark," Xavier replied, smiling. He actually found this scene to be rather amusing. "No offense."

"Er, if it's all the same to you," Loki said as he sat up on the hospital bed, "I think I'll take the chair."

"Then it's settled," Dr. Strange said. "Doctor Shultz will meet us outside."

"Wait, _she's_ coming too?" Tony asked, frowning. "How many doctors are we inviting?"

"Just two," Strange replied.

"Okay, _one_ doctor is bad enough, but _two_ -"

"Meet us outside, Stark." Strange left without another word.

"Ahem." Loki drew the remaining occupants' attention. "About my clothes..."

Within twenty minutes, they were all sitting in a car on their way to Stark Tower. Loki, now fully clothed in one of the oddest getups Earth had ever seen, sat in the back smushed between Tony and Strange. While the two argued on even the most idiotic and simplistic of things, Loki let his mind wander. Except where it wandered to left him... shaken.

 _"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me."_

 _"Why do you twist my words?"_

 _"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?"_

 _"You are my son. My blood. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."_

 _"Because I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?"_

 _"Don't..."_

 _"It all makes sense now. Why you favored Thor all these years."_

 _"Listen..."_

 _"Because no matter how much you claim to 'love' me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the Throne of Asgard!"_

Loki hadn't even realised that he was clutching Dr. Strange's arm, digging his fingernails into it, until the memory ended and he was able to hear Strange speak.

"Loki! _Loki!_ You are hurting my arm!"

Loki jumped slightly, letting go of Dr. Strange's arm. "Oh..." Out of his peripheral vision he saw Strange staring at him intently. Loki shifted in his seat in discomfort.

Tony looked at the two, frowning, as he stuffed a handful of blueberries in his mouth. "Uh... either of you want a blueberry?" Evidently he was trying to alleviate the awkwardness.

"No," Strange replied.

Loki looked at the blueberry bag Tony held in his hand. He was feeling hungry... "Are they good?"

"Uh, yeah, Lokes, they are good," Tony said, wolfing down another handful. As he poured see blueberries into Loki's hand he asked, "So... if you're a 'god'... then why are you on Earth?"

"'Earth?' Ah, so you mortals _do_ still call your realm by that name," Loki commented, eating a few blueberries. Tony was right- they _were_ good. "Good. I was beginning to think I would have to call it 'Manhattan.'"

Dr. Strange looked at Tony, who looked back in amusement. The latter mouthed "he's crazy" to Strange before looking back at Loki. "Yeah, yeah, sure. So why are you here?"

Loki looked at Tony, trying to figure him out. Loki desperately wanted answers to what happened to his powers, but it was apparent that the mortals simply did not have the answer. _I was foolish to think that they could help me,_ Loki thought.

"Loki, just because we do not have the answers you seek at the moment," Xavier spoke, "doesn't mean that we cannot find them in the future. Do not dismiss us as unhelpful right away."

"How could you _possibly_ know what I was thinking?" Loki asked, caught off-guard. And it's not often that the Trickster can be surprised by anything. "What... that kind of sorcery... should not be possible yet for such a primitive race."

"Who are you calling primitive?" Tony took the blueberries left in Loki's hand and said, "I want my blueberries back now."

Xavier shifted in his seat with some difficulty before looking at Loki. "What I can do is _not_ sorcery. It is not magic. It is _science._ Humanity is changing. Loki, I have seen some of your memories already. I know you have visited Earth on one other occasion. We're very different now from what we were _then,_ I assure you. We have _grown."_

"Really now?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. "You think a few little leaps in technology and power can possibly make you any different from what you were hundreds of years ago? Tell me, do you still have nations that quarrel with one another? Is the possibility of unity still beyond your people's reach?"

"Yes, we still have wars with one another," Xavier replied calmly. "But answer me this: are our wars any different from yours?"

"Wha... what?" Loki sputtered, not believing what was happening. Was this mortal actually beating him at the thing Loki was best at- using a person's own words against them?

Apparently this was becoming so.

"I am a telepath, Loki," Xavier said, looking back at the road ahead of them. "There is no secret that you can hide from me. Nine realms... and you tried to destroy one of them. Jotunheim, was it? All because you couldn't stand the fact that you're a-"

"ENOUGH!" Loki snarled angrily. "You think this is funny, don't you? If I had my powers right now, I would kill you _right here and now!"_

Dr. Shultz, who was driving (obviously), swerved into the garage of Stark Tower. She slammed on the brakes and turned to glare at Loki. "Hey, that's enough back there! You know what you are, _'Loki,'_ or whatever your name is?"

Loki smirked in amusement. "Do tell me. _What_ am I?"

"You're the guy whose first name is Hue, and last name is Jass."

Loki looked at Dr. Strange, then at Tony. "What in the Nine Realms does she mean by that? She just said I'm a 'Hue Jass'- oh..."

Tony was laughing hysterically, while Strange seemed unimpressed. "Yes, you are what she said you are. And Mr. Stark... is everything a joke to you?"

"Uh, is that a trick question?" Tony asked, smirking.

"Never mind," Xavier said. "Let us get to work, shall we?"

 _Tony Stark's lab..._

Loki squirmed slightly in his seat as Tony placed the last electrode on his scalp. Xavier sat across from him, also adorned with electrodes.

"Remind me... why are you putting these on us again?" Loki asked. He watched as Dr. Strange and Shultz hooked up a computer to the electrodes.

"Because, as Doctor Weird over there put it, we need to 'monitor for anomalies,'" Tony replied.

"My name is Doctor Strange," Strange told him.

"I know," Tony said.

"What I don't understand is why we need to do this exercise if your _Professor_ can read my mind," Loki spoke. "Wouldn't you already know what you need to know?"

"What we are doing is more in-depth," Xavier told him. "This is meant to determine whether or not you actually are who you believe yourself to be, or if you're simply... insane. My ability to read minds may be powerful, but it is not perfect. Mistakes can be made. We need to go... farther into your mind. What I see, what I _hear_ , is only the surface. I need what's submerged."

"Ah," Loki said. "So you want to see my mind in its entirety- my subconscious, everything."

"Yes."

"As you said, there is nothing I can hide from you. So what are we waiting for?"

Xavier took that as him having permission to look inside Loki's head. So Xavier closed his eyes and raised his hands to Loki's temples. "Relax," Xavier told him. "Close your eyes. I won't hurt you."

 _Can you hear me?_ Xavier asked.

 _Yes,_ Loki replied. _Can you hear me?_

 _Yes, I can. Listen to me carefully. I want you to recall a memory. It does not matter which one. Just give me something to work with._

Loki called back the memory of his nightmare. He sensed astonishment from Xavier as well as concern.

 _This was the nightmare you had last night?_ Xavier asked.

 _Yes_ , Loki said. _Is there something wrong?_

 _Yes. It means that not only you are who you say you are, but that something else has happened..._

 _What do you mean?_

Xavier broke the telepathic link between them. He opened his eyes and looked at Loki, who was looking right back at him.

"What do you mean that 'something else has happened?'" Loki demanded. "What significance could my dream be to you?"

"Because it wasn't a dream, Loki," Xavier told him. "It was a memory."

. . .

 **Okay, so hope you all enjoyed, and see you next chapter. Also, sorry if Dr. Strange isn't exactly in-character, but I've never seen his movie. I only saw him in _Thor: Ragnarok_. **

**So I've got my memory of his personality from _that,_ plus whatever I dig up from the Marvel Cinematic Universe wiki. (Also, Strange was a lot shorter than I imagined, lol! He's about as tall as Thor's shoulder, from what I remember.) **


	4. Three: Quoth the Raven

**Chapter three! :) And guess what? Reviews to reply to! Yay! Also, sorry I took so long to post this, but I got a pretty bad cold recently.**

 **Also, I may revise this chapter later. Onto reviews.**

 **marietta: Very cool story! Looking forward to more of it.**

 _ **Reply: Thanks! :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

 **Guest: So confused by the timeline**

 _ **Reply: Okay, so this story is technically a mix between an Alternate Universe (AU) and Alternate Timeline . So things will likely not seem clear initially. But things will make sense soon as the story goes on. Probably.**_

. . .

 **Chapter Three: Quoth the Raven**

"Can't sleep?"

Loki jerked in his seat, having been startled by the voice. He turned to see Dr. Strange leaning against the nearby doorframe of the living room, holding a mug of tea. Strange was right, Loki could not sleep. How could he, without the comforting soft hum of his magic in the corner of his mind, where it has always been until now? And Xavier racing off that afternoon without any explanation didn't help.

"No, not really," Loki replied, turning his gaze back to the book sitting on the coffee table before him. For the past two hours, he had been focusing his mind on it, willing it to move. But there has been nothing. The book was still in the exact same spot as it had been two hours ago. "I never appreciated my gift for magic until this moment. I would give everything I have to get it back."

Strange sat down on the couch across from Loki, studying the god curiously. "I don't think you ever appreciated any of the things you had before now."

Loki glared at the neurosurgeon angrily. "How dare you? How _dare you!_ You don't know me! Not a single thing about me! You dare start making assumptions about me, mortal?!"

"I don't dare anything," Strange replied calmly. "I just... I see it in your eyes. I'm a man of science, not 'not-science', alright? But in a way... I see some of myself in you, believe it or not..." His sentence trailed off as his mind went back to an old memory. "If you really are _the Loki..._ then you have a brother. Thor. Right? Or did we mortals get that wrong along with the 'horse sex thing?'"

"What is it with you humans and... _that?"_

"Don't ask me. I'm not the one who wrote Norse mythology," Strange told him, chuckling with amusement. But that amusement had a tinge of sadness to it. "So... did we get the Thor part right?"

Loki was tempted to lie and say no, that he had no brother. But he was becoming curious as to where Strange was going with this. "Yes, but he is not really my brother. I was... _adopted_ , so to speak."

"And did you ever appreciate him?" Strange asked.

"What?"

"Did you ever appreciate the fact that you had a brother growing up, even if you didn't share the same blood?"

"I lived under a _shadow_ my entire life," Loki snarled. "My brother never _once_ asked how I was. Never asked me for advice about anything. He _never_ once thought to comfort me when I was ill, or when I had an injury, or even when I had a _nightmare._ Why would I appreciate someone like that?"

"Maybe he didn't know you were in pain," Strange pointed out. "When I... when I lost my sister..." He trailed off again. He wasn't sure if he should share such a story with someone like Loki. Strange shook his head and said, "Never mind. I'm going back to bed."

"When you've hardly touched your tea?" Loki asked, an eyebrow raised. "You didn't come out here just to drink tea, did you?"

Strange laughed with amusement at Loki's observation. "You're right, I didn't."

"You can't sleep either, can you?"

"No, I can't. And it's ridiculous."

"Why?" Loki asked, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back in his chair.

"Every time I lie down and close my eyes," Strange told him, "I see people turning to ash. And others on their knees, screaming for their dead loved ones to come back. To not leave them alone. It wasn't me who was responsible, but... somehow... I can't shake the feeling that it was my fault."

 _Meanwhile, in another realm far, far away..._

 _"Where is the Wielder of Lies?"_ a unison of hissing voices asked from the darkness of the rocks.

In the center of the blanket of night stood a young, pale-blue skinned woman in armour. Or rather, she appeared young. Her short black hair fell just above her shoulders, and her red eyes gleamed with a calm, steady fury. "It appears that something has happened. The portal that he was supposed to come through shifted away from this realm. I was unable to capture him."

 _"And you call yourself Sigyn, the Goddess of Fidelity."_

"You dare question my loyalty?" Sigyn demanded. "I pledged to you, I fought for you, I _sacrificed_ everything for you! And now you accuse me of being a traitor."

 _"Your loyalty certainly seems questionable at the moment, Sigyn. After all, we have attempted this manuever many times. And each one has failed. How do we know it is not because of you?"_

"Then allow me to _prove_ to you, O Highest of the Order, of my loyalty," Sigyn told them. "I believe I know which realm the portal was sent. Midgard. A primitive planet, if I may say. Only a small number of its inhabitants are exhibiting the first signs of becoming an equal to the rest of the Nine Realms."

 _"Then go. Find the Wielder if Lies. And bring him to us,"_ the voices hissed. _"But be warned- this is your final opportunity to prove yourself. If you fail-"_

"I will not fail. You will see that soon enough," Sigyn said. She gave them a bow, and then turned away. She called upon her magic and opened a portal to Midgard. "You will see..."

 _Back on Midgard, in the morning..._

Loki frowned as he walked into the kitchen and saw Tony Stark hovering over a stove, cooking eggs. "Do you not have servants?"

"Huh?" Tony looked up at Loki. "You mean other than the one up in my ceiling? Nope."

"You have a servant in the ceiling?" Loki looked up at the ceiling and scowled. "What kind of servant is he to not come down and cook your meals for you?"

 _"I am the kind of servant who gives his boss advice and cannot do anything about it when he goes ahead and does exactly the opposite."_

Loki's scowl turned into an expression of bewilderment. He looked back at Tony and asked, "Is he a spirit?"

Tony laughed. "Guess you don't have computers on Asgard, eh, Lokes? J.A.R.V.I.S. isn't a spirit, he's a computer. Bits and pieces of ones and zeros, strung together to form functions and commands and..."

Loki's expression told Tony that he didn't understand a word of what he was saying.

"You know what, never mind," Tony said. "I don't know what kind of house you grew up in, but it's obvious you've never seen, let alone heard of a computer."

"I did not grow up in a peasant's _house,"_ Loki retorted. "I grew up in a palace."

"Oh, for the love of..." Tony muttered a few curses under his breath. "It was a figure of speech. And now I just popped an egg, no thanks to you. Can you get the egg carton out if the fridge?"

"The what?" Loki asked. He really hated feeling so stupid right about now. Horseless carriages, people in ceilings, and a whole lot of other crap he didn't understand.

"Forget it, I'll do it myself," Tony snapped, pushing past Loki as he walked to the refrigerator.

Loki looked after him, frowning, then left the kitchen without a word. He wandered into the living room, where he found Dr. Shultz watching something on a strange square attached to the wall. Loki wondered if Shultz would be in the mood to talk. "What is that?"

Shultz jumped slightly in her seat, having been startled. She turned to Loki and snapped, "A TV show." It was clear she didn't want to talk.

The god wandered around aimlessly some more until he found himself on the balcony of the tower, which overlooked the city. The view was breathtaking. If only Loki was in the mood to enjoy it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Loki turned to see Professor Xavier wheeling up behind him. "Yes, I suppose it is." There was a pause before Loki continued," I haven't seen you since you took off yesterday after the link."

"I know," Xavier simply said.

The two remained in silence for a while before Loki asked, "So was what you said true?"

"About what?"

"About my dream not being a dream. About it being a memory," Loki told him, crossing his arms.

"Yes," Xavier told him. "I'm sorry that I left so suddenly, but the experience left me shaken."

"How so?"

"I had a dream, not long before your arrival. I dreamt of six stones, all of which having immense power. Of what they could do in the wrong hands..." Xavier paused and then continued, "And then I was talking to Logan, in the dream. It was so very... real. And when he said his arm felt strange, I looked down at it and it... was turning to ash. And I sensed an outcry of pain from the rest of the universe... half were suffering the same fate..."

Loki was staring intently at Xavier now.

"When I saw those stones in your nightmare, in Thanos' gauntlet, I realised that it wasn't a nightmare at all. Nor was my nightmare a nightmare. They were memories," Xavier finished.

"You said this... Logan was turning to ash?" Loki asked, a realisation hitting him.

Xavier nodded. "Yes." He didn't have to ask why Loki wanted to confirm that. He already knew. "When I came back late last night, I sensed the neurosurgeon's dream. He felt agitated. But there was more than that. A sense of guilt. Failure."

"Yes, he told me," Loki said. He walked back into the living room, Xavier right behind him. "If we are regaining lost memories, then we have to investigate further."

"I do not think that these memories were _lost,"_ Xavier told him. "I believe that we are looking at something involving an alternate timeline."

"Say what now?" Tony had just walked in, a plate of eggs in his hand.

Loki looked at Xavier with a frown. "But that's... that cannot be possible..."

"Think about it," Xavier told him. "You dreamt that Thanos killed you. Doctor Strange dreamt about half the universe's population turning to ash. I dreamt that _Logan_ turned to ash. Yet you're alive, I have not sensed a universal-wide massacre, and Logan was alive and well the last time I saw him. These are not the memories of _this_ timeline. They do not coincide with what we _know_ of this timeline. There is only one explanation."

"An alternate timeline," Loki said, looking out the window of the living room.

It was the only explanation. But what did it mean?

. . .

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. :)**

 **Alright, so Sigyn... her appearance in this story was inspired by the story _All an Illusion_ by FantasyandHistory. I had desperately been wracking my brain for ideas for a new scene when I thought of this story and said to myself, "Lightbulb."**

 **Thus, "Sigyn, the Goddess of Fidelity" was born. Or rather, _reborn._**

 **Alrighty, so see you all next time! :D**


	5. Four: Nevermore, Part I

**Chapter four is** **up!** **:) This chapter has gone under I don't know how many rewrites. But I'd say this version is the most satisfactory for me. Hope you all like it!**

 **Also, I just read a news article that said Loki _may_ be getting his own TV show! :) :) :) I really can't wait for it to come out, because I really want to see where they'll take the character and what interesting stories will take place.**

 **As to whether or not the TV show is set before or after** _ **Avengers: Infinity Wars,**_ **I don't know (but I really hope it's _after_ 'cuz I love Loki!) but either way, it's going to be an exciting time for us Loki fans when it comes out. **

**Anyway, now that's over with, onto the story!**

. . .

 **Chapter Four: Nevermore, Part I**

 _965 A D., Jotunheim..._

Sigyn sighed as she waited outside her parents' bedroom. Her mother was giving birth right now. Several hours had passed, and naturally Sigyn was becoming impatient.

 _I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl? Does it matter? I'd much rather have a brother than a sister..._

Finally her father stepped out of the bedroom. He wore a supposedly pleased expression on his face, but it seemed strained. Forced. Sigyn didn't notice. "Father!" She raced up to him and started jabbering excitedly. "Is it a boy or a girl- can I see it- oh, I just know that Lardnaf would want to-!"

Her father raised his hand for silence. "It's a boy, Sigyn. And yes, you may see it. As for Lardnaf... he might be too rough with the child." He ushered Sigyn into the room, where she saw her mother lying in bed, cradling something in her arms.

"Mother?"

Sigyn's mother turned her head to look at her. "Sigyn! Look." She adjusted her arms so that Sigyn could see the child.

Sigyn let out a gasp of amazement. "He is beautiful... what will his name be?"

"We thought perhaps you would like to name him," Sigyn's father said, walking to the bed and sitting beside his spouse. "Well?"

"Yes!" Sigyn answered immediately. She looked at the baby again, studying him, his little locks of black hair, his vibrant red eyes. The child, unlike most babies, was very quiet. Sigyn finally said, "Loptr. His name should be Loptr."

"Loptr," Sigyn's mother repeated. She smiled as she looked down at the newly named child. "Yes, that is a good name. Welcome to the Nine Realms, Loptr Laufeyson."

 _Present day, Stark Tower..._

Loki frowned as he studied the machine Tony was working on. "What did you say this was again?"

"It's a called a 'quantum discriminator,'" Tony replied as he reached in his tool bag and pulled out a clamp. "It's supposed to look for changes in the timeline. Personally, I don't believe in time travel or any of that _science fiction._ But I can't deny that something really funky is going on here."

"'Funky?'" Loki repeated, tilting his head in puzzlement.

Tony turned to him with an exasperated expression. "How about, instead of standing around uselessly, you go get one of my iPads, get Doctor Oddity to download a _dictionary_ for you, and you can read _that_ instead of asking me what everything means!"

Loki didn't even flinch. He replied in a steady voice laced with anger, "I do not know what an iPad looks like, but I suppose I can have Doctor Strange help me, since you already suggested that he assist me." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of Tony's workshop before he decided to do something he might regret.

 _How dare he?! How dare he speak to me, Loki Odinson, the rightful ruler of Asgard, in such a manner?! If I had my magic, he would not be showing me such disrespect. He would be on his_ knees _begging for_ mercy! _I am a god. He is nothing more than an ant that can be squashed by my boot!"_

Loki stormed into the living room where Dr. Strange, Dr. Shultz, and Xavier were having a hushed discussion. They stopped talking as soon as he entered. Loki glared at them with suspicion. "Is there something going on that I should know about?"

Shultz opened her mouth to make a sarcastic reply when suddenly a portal flashed open in the center of the room, effectively cutting the doctor's retort short. She and Strange stood up and stared in astonishment at the object.

Xavier looked at it with an expression of concern. "I do not like this at all..."

Loki slowly stepped closer to his "allies" as he stared at the portal. He had to agree with Xavier on that one. Did Heimdall find out where Loki was?

 _But Thor had destroyed the Bifrost..._

Through the portal stepped Sigyn. She looked at the group with a glare, studying each individual intently. "Which of you is the Liesmith Loki?"

"Oh ****!" Apparently Shultz had no end to her colourful language. "Who are you?"

Sigyn gave Shultz a look that said "drop dead." She replied, keeping her voice calm, "Who I am is none of your concern."

Loki could not stop staring at her skin. "You... you are of Jotunheim."

Sigyn looked at him with a smile that would have creeped out even Thor himself. "How nice to know you Midgardians are not as stupid as you look. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. _Where is Loki Odinson?!"_

Loki tried not to smirk in smugness. Perhaps his silver tongue could be useful on this planet after all. "I am afraid I do not know this _Loki Odinson._ I-"

"Alright, so it will be the hard way, then," Sigyn interrupted, pulling her bow _Mjuln_ off her shoulder. She took an arrow out of her quiver, strung it to the bow, and aimed at Loki. "I will not ask again. Where is he?"

Sigyn was so focused on Loki that she was unaware of Tony sneaking up from behind. "Boo," he said.

Just as Sigyn whirled around, she was sent flying through the air by a blast of energy. She slammed into a wall and fell to the floor, stunned. Her arrow had shattered one of Tony's nice vases (which had been a gift from Pepper.)

Tony looked down at the metal gloves he wore on his hands and smirked. "See, J.A.R.V.I.S.? I didn't get blown up!"

 _"I said that there was a ninety five percent chance that the gloves would explode. I did not say for certain that they actually would. I- the intruder is still concious, sir!"_

Sigyn stood up from where she landed, plaster sliding off her body. She stumbled forward unsteadily, furious. "You think... a pair of fancy gloves... can stop me? I am a _god!"_

"No, you are not a _god,"_ Xavier said, wheeling up to her. His mind penetrated her mental barriers and he commanded, "Sleep."

Sigyn collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The others looked at Xavier with amazement.

"How'd you do that?" Tony asked, finally regaining his voice.

"My telepathic abilities extend beyond reading minds and doing 'mind melds', Mr. Stark," Xavier told him. "I could make you dance around this room like a chicken right now if I wanted to."

Tony raised an eyebrow at that, but did not say anything. Loki picked up a lamp from the stand next to the couch and started walking over to the inert Sigyn.

"Loki," Xavier addressed in a warning tone. "I don't think you want to do that."

"She is dangerous," Loki replied, glaring at him. "Whatever she wants me for, I-"

"She may be dangerous, but she may also be the key to regaining what you have lost," Xavier told him.

"You mean... she can help me regain my powers?"

"Yes, that..." Xavier said. _That, and more._

"Uh... so then, what do we do with her?" Shultz asked. "I mean, if she were a human, we could probably use the forcefield emitters in Tony's workshop to keep her contained, but we all saw that portal! She could totally just open one up, I bet, and waltz outta here!"

Loki had set the lamp back down on the stand and was now kneeling down, examining Sigyn. He reached and pulled something off her jacket. He yelped in pain and dropped the object onto the floor with a clatter. Loki clutched his hand and examined it. "That... stone... it burned my hand."

Loki looked at the stone again, and felt panic rise in his chest for some unknown reason. Flashes of light and clouds of grey swam before his eyes. He could not speak or move. And then he blacked out.

 _"You question us? You question him? He, who put the Scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?"_

. . .

 **Okay, so kudos to those of you guesses what stone that is. :) Though I suppose I made it kinda easy with that quote... lol!**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you all next time.**


	6. Interlude, Part 1: The Rising Storm

**Okay, interlude! :) For this we'll be focusing on a little more of Sigyn's past (which is not very pretty...), so this chapter will be shorter. I imagine** **Sigyn having been around ten when Loki was born, so she would have been pretty young when this chapter takes place. This interlude takes place six months after Loki was born.**

. . .

 **Interlude, Part 1: The Rising Storm**

 _959 A.D., Jotunheim..._

Sigyn awoke that morning to find Loptr absent from the cradle beside her bed. Immediately she knew something was wrong. She pushed off the covers and walked out of her bedroom into the hall. Reaching out with her magic, she sensed that Loptr was with their mother.

That was not unusual. What was unusual was how distressed his aura was. Alarmed by this, Sigyn made her way to her parents' bathing room and pushed open the door. "Mother! What are you doing?!"

Her mother held Loptr, who was crying and whimpering. She was gripping a blade in one hand. Sigyn's mother looked at her with terror. "You did not see what I saw. The beam of the Bifrost... tearing our planet apart! And it was because of him!"

Sigyn shook her head in denial. No, no... "Mother, please! You aren't well. Let me get Father! He'll know what to do, just please-!"

"I must end it before it's begun!" Sigyn's mother raised her arm to stab Loptr. Sigyn suddenly found a blade of ice magicked out of thin air in her mother's back. Sigyn was clutching the weapon, blood from the wound dripping slowly onto her fingers. Her mother slumped over onto the floor, gasping, trying to breathe.

She looked up at the horrified Sigyn, blood trailing from her mouth. "T-t-traitor... my own daughter... you will suffer the wrath of Laufey..." Sigyn's mother shuddered with one last breath, her eyes devoid of the light of life, staring at the ceiling.

Sigyn reached and picked up the wailing Loptr, tears running down both their faces. "By the Norns... what have I done?" She let out a choked sob as she stumbled out of the bathroom. _I cannot stay here. We cannot stay here. We have to leave..._

Sigyn soon found herself outside the palace in the midst of a battle field. Asgardian warriors versus the warriors of Jotunheim. One Asgardian saw her and ran towards her, sword raised high. Sigyn called upon her magic and created a spear of ice, which she launched into the neck of the warrior. He fell backwards, choking on his own blood.

Sigyn didn't stop to think about how she just killed two people in less than an hour. She ran through the carnage, tripping over bodies, killing any Asgardian who tried to attack her and her brother. _Just keep moving..._

Sigyn, after running for what seemed like forever, found herself and Loptr in a cave. She looked at the whimpering child in her arms and whispered, "It's okay. You and I are safe now. We're safe..."

Loptr only wailed louder. It was only a matter of time before someone came to investigate. Sigyn sat down to rest a minute and leaned against a rock, and stroked her brother's hair gently, trying to soothe him.

Suddenly she heard the crunching of footsteps in the snow. Sigyn wrapped one arm around Loptr, securing him to her chest, while with her free hand she created a spear of ice. She raised her arm, ready to plunge the blade into the throat of the intruder.

But when the intruder came into view, Sigyn hesitated. He was an old man, an Asgardian, clad in armour, blood seeping from the socket where is eye once was, gashes all over his face and body. He held a spear of his own in his hands.

Even with these war wounds, anyone could tell that it was Odin. The All-Father. This was why Sigyn hesitated.

Odin tilted his head, studying her and Loptr. "You are only children."

"And y-y-you are the All-F-F-Father," Sigyn replied, hearing her voice catch. "Are you g-g-going to kill us?"

"As I said, you are only children."

Sigyn's spear disappeared into thin air after a moment. "Then... w-w-what do you want?" Odin leaned his spear against the wall and knelt down beside her and Loptr.

"I want to know what the two of you are doing hiding in a cave all alone. What happened?"

Sigyn closed her eyes and let out a shuddered sigh, then began telling her story.


End file.
